Strong Solomons squad named for Vanuatu tour

SIFF, Honiara: Solomon Islands interim National Coach, Alan Gillett, has named his 18-strong squad for two friendly matches against Vanuatu this weekend. The Englishman who arrived in early March says he will use the matches to identify the best possible side to represent the country in the combined OFC World Cup and Nations Cup qualifying…

ASA: The Australian Under-23 team has drawn 0-0 in their friendly international match against Greece played overnight at the Panthessaliko Stadium, Volos. The match kicked-off the national Under-23 team’s build-up towards this year’s tournament for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games following the team’s qualification in January. The team won the Oceania qualifying tournament after defeating…

ASA: The Socceroos completed a hard-fought 1-0 over a South African side ranked 39th in the world in the friendly international played at Loftus Rd in London this morning. Marco Bresciano scored the game’s only goal in the 19th minute with a text-book volley from 10 yards with what was his second goal in three…

OFC/CIFA/FIFA – 31 March 2004: The Cook Island Football Association (CIFA) is in the midst of final preparations towards the realization of a significant milestone in the history of football in the idyllic pacific island nation. Since selection by FIFA to benefit from the Goal programme, the association identified an ambitious project for the construction…

FTF, Papeete: Tahitian club champion Pirae was defeated 0-3 by Manu Ura in a surprise upset in the third round of the Federal Championship playoffs. Pirae were outplayed from the start and coach Gerard Kautai, who is close to selecting Tahiti’s national team for the World Cup qualifiers in May, admitted his more fancied charges…

OFC, By Benjamin Coonan: Vanuatu striker Richard Iwai sounded his arrival in the Queensland Premier League on Saturday night, by taking man of the match honours for Mitchelton in their 4-1 rout of local rivals Brisbane City. Iwai’s influential showing was best illustrated when the lanky marksman netted Mitchelton’s third goal, showing off his gymnastic…

SUVA: The current goal-scoring form of silky midfielder Salesh Kumar in the national league is good news for the Fijian selectors ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in May. The Fijian representative followed up his hat-trick against Tavua last week to clinch the winner for Ba last weekend to lead his side to a 1-0…

VFF, Port Vila: Vanuatu’s top league, the Port Vila Football League, has kicked off its 2004 Championship program on Saturday 27 March, with the reigning champions Tafea Football Club winning their first match against Tupuji Imere. Despite losing their top strikers, Richard Iwai and Etienne Mermer, to the Queensland Premier Division club Mitchelton SC in…

NOUMEA: Territorial champion JS Traput came close to an upset over division d’honneur side Mont Dore in the first round of the New Caledonia championship semi-final playoff series on the weekend. Mont Dore were able to secure a come from behind 1-2 win over JS Traput but for large periods of the game were dominated…

SFSF, Apia: Last Saturday’s draw threw up some interesting match-ups but in the end there were no surprises with the weather once again playing havoc. Meanwhile, Sogi continued its winning streak at the expense of a disappointing Vaivase-tai. Despite the torrential overnight rain for another consecutive week, the No 1 field was in good condition,…